• Cultivating and supporting U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council (USCHT) Partners in developing and marketing cultural and heritage tour packages, providing public relations and offering educational opportunities, spearheading market research initiatives, outreach to other tourism and cultural related entities presenting information about the economic impact of cultural and heritage tourism and serving as their voice in national tourism leadership organizations. • Packaging Cultural & Heritage Tours. More than 50 exciting cultural and heritage packages developed by USCHT are displayed and marketed on TheCulturalTraveler.com and via leading travel agents and tour operators. • TheCulturalTraveler.com. A website established to market cultural and heritage packages along with other USCHT initiatives including the ONE Travel Conference, cultural and heritage research and the Cultural Traveler guide. • The Cultural Traveler guide, an annual publication now it its fourth edition, reaches more than 40,000 domestic and international travelers and travel trade, including all 6000 Pow Wow delegates. It is published by USCHT in partnership with the Museum Store Association and Shop America Alliance and endorsed by the American Association of Museums. The guide is distributed at many of the national and international travel trade shows including Pow Wow, Go West, World Travel and Tourism Summit, La Cumbre, Expo Vacaciones and World Travel Market. It is also available in Delta Airline’s Sky Clubs and New Orleans and Texas Airports. • ONE Travel Conference for Shopping, Dining and Cultural Heritage Tourism, is an annual conference bringing together these three major segments of travel to partner on marketing. The 2011 inaugural conference was held in Pasadena, California, the 2012 conference was in Orlando, Florida. The 2013 ONE conference will be held in Costa Mesa, California at the legendary South Coast Plaza, February 6-8. USCHT produces this conference in partnership with Shop America Alliance. American Express is the presenting sponsor of the conferences. • Museum Store Association (MSA), a partner of Shop America and USCHT, published a series of seven Cultural & Tourism White Papers, written by Rosemary McCormick in collaboration with Sheila Armstrong, and distributed them to their 1800 members. These papers became the basis of the book, Marketing Cultural & Heritage Tourism. • Marketing Cultural & Heritage Tourism, authored by Rosemary McCormick, was published in partnership with MSA, Shop America Alliance and USCHT in the fall of 2011. This book includes many ideas presented in the White Papers including partnerships, PR, online tourism marketing and how to develop a strategic plan along with tourism terminology, findings from the USCHT research studies and case studies. • The Cultural Traveler Research Study, produced in 2009 by Mandala Research, was sponsored by USCHT, National Trust for Historic Preservation, US Department of Commerce/OTTI, Museum Store Association Shop America Alliance and several DMOs. In addition, USCHT has partnered with Mandala Research on other domestic and international studies and always includes questions on Cultural & Heritage travel in these studies. • Partnering with the American Association of Museums (AAM). USCHT produced The Cultural Traveler Pavilion at the AAM conference in 2009 in Philadelphia to raise awareness on the importance of cultural and heritage tourism. National Geographic Traveler, National Trust for Historic Preservation and Museum Store Association were partners in this 5000 square foot interactive display. USCHT also organized and presented a Panel on Cultural & Heritage Tourism at the 2010 AAM conference in Los Angeles. • Authentic America Travel is a marketing campaign developed by Shop America Alliance (SAA), USCHT and MSA in partnership with Hand Made in America and AIANTA- American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association. The goal of this program is to market Authentic America products and experiences to international travelers and thus increase exports. The next step is to find ways to implement this campaign including pursuing additional partners and funding resources. • ONGOING Cultural & Heritage Tourism Public Relations: USCHT and SAA present at many travel industry conferences. Highlights of The Cultural Traveler research study were presented at U.S. Travel’s Marketing Outlook Forum, the State Conferences of North Carolina, Florida, California and Texas and the International Heritage Development Conference and other conferences and webinars. USCHT and SAA partner in developing a flash drive media kit for the Pow Wow media marketplace and for use at other travel trade and media events, including World Travel Market and the Visit USA UK Media Marketplace.Sheila Armstrong and Rosemary McCormick are regular contributors on cultural and heritage topics to Museum Store Magazine, Shop America Magazine and other publications and webinars. • National Travel Industry Representation. As Executive Director of the US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council. Sheila Armstrong represents the Cultural & Heritage Tourism sector by serving on the US Travel Association Board of Directors and the Brand USA Marketing Advisory Committee. She has just completed her term on the US Department of Commerce Secretary’s Travel & Tourism Advisory Board. In all of these organizations she is a strong advocate for expanded awareness of the importance of Cultural & Heritage Tourism. As president of Shop America Alliance and co-founder of the US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, Rosemary McCormick serves on the Destination & Travel Foundation Board, part of DMAI and has just completed her term on the U.S. Travel Association Board/Executive Committee. About: U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council (USCHT) is a travel trade association with a mission to market U.S. cultural and heritage tourism experiences both nationally and internationally. USCHT represents leading U.S. tourism destinations, attractions and travel partners engaged in marketing U.S. cultural and heritage to travelers throughout the United States and around the world, conducts market research on the Cultural and Heritage Traveler, co-produces the annual ONE Travel Conference and publishes The Cultural Traveler guidebook annually. For more information, visit USCHT.com and TheCulturalTraveler.com Membership in the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council is open to all U.S. cultural and heritage organizations and destinations engaged in cultural and heritage travel marketing. To learn more, contact Sheila Armstrong, Co-Founder & Executive Director of USCHT at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 843.341.6392